Groundhog Day: Repeatedly Practicing Forgiveness with Jackie Lora Jones and Bruce Rawles

Jackie Lora Jones and Bruce Rawles continue their conversations about A Course In Miracles (ACIM) in this video about the importance of being gently patient, persistent, and vigilantly diligent in our practice, practice, practice the Course’s mind-transforming quantum forgiveness. Fans of the movie Groundhog Day and its metaphors will recall this film’s time-lapse progression of the character Phil as he slowly-but-surely learns that shared interests, kindness, and inclusive thinking eventually and inevitably lead to peace and release from our dreary dualistic dreams… or at least his character seems to move in that direction! The Course’s metaphysical master class in – as the late great Judy Skutch Whitson called it – Olympic-level mind-training brings us gradually from conscious incompetence to conscious competence* as we climb the metaphoric ladder above the battleground of ego’s we-they thinking to the joyous “Aha!” revelation that nothing happened to compromise the Innocence of all Creation of which we are All an essential part, and ultimately share the whole Identity. These * 4 stages of competency go from:

• Unconscious incompetence (mindless, clueless misery, entrenched in massive denial)
• Conscious incompetence (epitomized by “There must be a better way” – bottom of the metaphoric ladder where we seem to be at the mercy of knee-jerk ego reaction – “auto-corrupt”
• Conscious competence – top of the metaphoric ladder (where we have mastered automatic correction with practiced acceptance of Holy Spirit’s help) … unlike lots of computer software auto-correct programs which aren’t always ideal, HS’s responses are always 100% perfect for all!
• Unconscious competence – beyond the Course’s scope, our forgiveness lessons complete, we are at the threshold of the real world where our droplet identity has returned to oceanic awareness

The importance of gentle, persistent repetition of the practice of true forgiveness is paramount in ACIM, and particularly emphasized in the Workbook; here are a few examples:

• 14 instances of repetition: https://acim.org/acim/en?wid=search&fwv=true&q=repetition
• 170 instances of repeat: https://acim.org/acim/en?wid=search&fwv=true&q=repeat
• 11 instances of habit: https://acim.org/acim/en?wid=search&fwv=true&q=habit
• 368 instances of practice: https://acim.org/acim/en?wid=search&fwv=true&q=practice
• 15 instances of persistent: https://acim.org/acim/en?wid=search&fwv=true&q=persistent

We need the repetition of our forgiveness practice to deepen our fluency in the shared interest of freedom from guilt, appreciation of our inspiration, and acceptance of our real nature (eternal innocence) as we jettison ego’s condemning assessment of ourselves which is mirrored in our assessment of everyone and everything else. Our “Inner GPS” – unlike ego’s nightmarish version which belittles us for missing every exit off its highway to hell – gently and continuously plans the optimum “route” to peace of mind at each moment, meeting us where we believe we’re at. In the video, Jackie shared thoughts related to this quote:

“The value of the Atonement does not lie in the manner in which it is expressed. ²In fact, if it is used truly, it will inevitably be expressed in whatever way is most helpful to the receiver. ³This means that a miracle, to attain its full efficacy, must be expressed in a language that the recipient can understand without fear. ⁴This does not necessarily mean that this is the highest level of communication of which he is capable. ⁵It does mean, however, that it is the highest level of communication of which he is capable now. ⁶The whole aim of the miracle is to raise the level of communication, not to lower it by increasing fear.” (ACIM, T-2.IV.5:1-6)

… and we talked about how it’s never about the “other person” as this gem reminds us:

“It is in the instant that the therapist forgets to judge the patient that healing occurs.” (ACIM, P-3.II.6:1)

… and we are all the “therapist” that is being talked about here! How do we get to our Inner Kindness Teacher’s metaphoric equivalent of Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice! What do we practice? True forgiveness!

“There is a very simple way to find the door to true forgiveness, and perceive it open wide in welcome. ²When you feel that you are tempted to accuse someone of sin in any form, do not allow your mind to dwell on what you think he did, for that is self-deception. ³Ask instead, ‘Would I accuse myself of doing this?’ “ (ACIM, W-134.9:1-3)

Here are some additional related quotes from ACIM which will also form the basis of another related “Groundhog Day” talk on January 29, 2023, for Rocky Mountain Miracle Center: Deepening, Perfecting, and Repeating, Repeating, Repeating Our Forgiveness Practice; making room for Peace by more quickly questioning ego’s seemingly ceaseless war propaganda

• “The idea for today needs many repetitions for maximum benefit.” (ACIM, W-27.3:1)
• “The day begins and ends with this. And we repeat it every time the hour strikes, or we remember, in between, we have a function that transcends the world we see. Beyond this, and a repetition of the special thought we practice for the day, no form of exercise is urged, except a deep relinquishment of everything that clutters up the mind, and makes it deaf to reason, sanity and simple truth.” (ACIM, W-rVI.in.3:6-8)
• “Teachers must be patient and repeat their lessons until they are learned. ⁵I am willing to do this, because I have no right to set your learning limits for you. ⁶Again,—nothing you do or think or wish or make is necessary to establish your worth.” (ACIM, T-4.I.7:4-6)
• “The habit of engaging with God and His creations is easily made if you actively refuse to let your mind slip away. ²The problem is not one of concentration; it is the belief that no one, including yourself, is worth consistent effort. ³Side with me consistently against this deception, and do not permit this shabby belief to pull you back. ⁴The disheartened are useless to themselves and to me, but only the ego can be disheartened.” (ACIM, T-4.IV.7:1-4)
• Lesson 284: “I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt.” (ACIM, W-284)

This video recording was recorded on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

Check out Jackie’s True Forgiveness Teachings podcast here. These readings provide a platform to discuss a variety of helpful ideas and practices from the non-dual metaphysics of A Course in Miracles. Jackie has conducted insightful video interviews with Gary Renard and numerous others. She and her sister, Cindy Lora-Renard, facilitate classes on ACIM in addition to equally highly-regarded workshops on “The Course.” Jackie’s first book, All Peace, No Pieces – now available in audiobook form – is a valuable addition to any Course student’s library, regardless of their level of familiarity with the Course’s ideas, with some particularly fun and insightful metaphors from the Wizard of Oz movie. Here are more ACIM-related conversations with Jackie Lora Jones and Bruce Rawles.